Chapter 10

The next morning, Xia Xi woke up in high spirits, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. To be honest, this was the first time since arriving in this world that she had slept so soundly, completely setting aside all her worries.
"If you were the firework over the sea, I’d be the foam of the waves. In that moment, your light illuminated me"
Xia Xi blinked her large eyes, picked up her phone from the bedside table, and saw "Da He" displayed on the screen. She answered the call.
Why is he calling me at this hour? I have a feeling it’s not for anything good.
"Hello, Da He?"
Hearing the sweet, lingering tone in Xia Xi’s voice, Da He knew she had just woken up. He chuckled lightly and said, "My dear ancestor, do you even know what time it is? You just got up?"
"I was reading the script last night, so I slept a bit late," Xia Xi replied, yawning quietly and rubbing her eyes.
"How’s Song Yuan, the one I sent over? Are you getting along with her okay?"
"Yeah, she’s pretty good," Xia Xi nodded. "I’m quite satisfied. She’s very reliable. And even though she’s younger than me, I feel like she’s more mature."
"Haha, so you’ve finally realized that. There aren’t many people your age who are still as willful as you," Da He said, his tone dripping with obvious disdain. He sighed. "Well, it’s already a miracle that you’ve come to this realization. I don’t expect you to grow up in this lifetime."
“...”
Originally, Xia Xi had just wanted to phrase it differently to express her gratitude to Da He for finding her such a dependable assistant like Song Yuan. She hadn’t expected him to mercilessly roast her instead.
"Did you call me first thing in the morning just to break my heart?" Xia Xi rolled her eyes.
"You’re overthinking it. That’s not why. It’s just that there are too many things about you worth criticizing," Da He paused, his voice filled with helplessness. "But I really couldn’t resist teasing you."
"Fine."
"Alright, little ancestor, hurry up and get out of bed. If you’re late, you’ll get scolded by the director."
"Da He, don’t jinx me."
A rare note of grievance crept into Xia Xi’s voice, making both familiar voices on the phone burst into laughter.
Actually, transmigrating doesn’t seem so bad after all?

Today marked the official start of filming for Fate of Immortals. Worried that the actors might not be in top form, the director deliberately scheduled a few simple, easy-to-handle scenes to warm up and secure a "smooth sailing" auspicious start. After all, if the crew kept getting NG takes right from the beginning, it would be quite frustrating to think about.
Xia Xi also had a scene today. It was set after Su Yuxue had grown into a dashing young man, when he participated in a martial arts competition at Kunlun Mountain and made a name for himself. He was then brought by Su Jingtian to meet the sect leader of Kunlun. Xia Xi’s role in this scene wasn’t heavy, she had no lines and only needed to quietly serve as part of the background. So, she wasn’t anxious at all. Instead, she sat calmly on a small stool, planning to observe Lu Yisheng’s acting.
Lu Yisheng had always been exceptionally handsome, standing out like a shining presence wherever he went, making it impossible not to notice him. But Xia Xi hadn’t expected that, once he donned ancient-style attire, Lu Yisheng would be so stunning that she couldn’t tear her eyes away. His already captivating looks, which she’d rated a 7 out of 10, now seemed a perfect 10. Around her, she could hear the gasps of astonishment from others who had seen him after his makeup was done.
"God Lu, God Lu… he’s just too, too handsome!"
The exclamation from Song Yuan, who was standing beside Xia Xi, snapped her out of her wandering thoughts. Xia Xi glanced sideways at her starstruck assistant and felt a flicker of amusement, thinking that Song Yuan finally seemed more like a young girl, shedding some of her usual maturity and seriousness. "Are you a fan of Lu Yisheng?"
"Of course! What girl could resist God Lu’s charm?" The mention of her idol instantly energized Song Yuan, and she nodded enthusiastically. "He’s globally recognized as the male god most women want to marry! He’s good-looking, incredibly talented, and at such a young age, he’s already achieved heights many people can’t reach even after a lifetime of effort. And the rarest thing is how humble he is, always polite and well-mannered in how he treats others…"
"Stop!" Xia Xi couldn’t help interrupting Song Yuan’s endless stream of praises for Lu Yisheng. She glanced at Lu Yisheng standing in front of the camera, shook her head with a light laugh, and said, "It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound. You talk as if he’s some kind of deity, but he’s just an ordinary person with one nose and two eyes like everyone else."
"But, God Lu, he…" Song Yuan initially wanted to say more to Xia Xi, but seeing her indifferent expression, she wisely chose to stay silent and didn’t continue the discussion.
Sometimes, if someone isn’t interested, pushing your idol on them just becomes annoying.
While Xia Xi and Song Yuan were still chatting, Lu Yisheng’s scene had already begun.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the atmosphere around him completely transformed. He was no longer the renowned Lu Yisheng but Su Yuxue from Fate of Immortals, a novice just starting out. The confidence and composure in his eyes were replaced by the innocence and optimism unique to youth. Dressed in a black robe, he sat beneath a peach blossom tree, reading a book. Petals drifted down occasionally in the gentle breeze, swirling slowly and sprinkling over his clothes, hair, and the pages of his book. Yet, Su Yuxue remained unmoved.
He sat there quietly, the only sound being the soft rustle of pages as his slender fingers turned them.
"Disciple, your master has returned!" The voice arrived before the person did, a magnetic tone shattering the moment's tranquility, causing Su Yuxue's hand, which had been flipping through a book, to pause. He lifted his head toward the source of the footsteps and, upon seeing the newcomer, a faint smile gradually bloomed across his otherwise aloof expression, breathing life into his entire being.
"Cut! Scene one is done." Li Wen chuckled and gave Lu Yisheng a thumbs-up. "Lu Shen is truly Lu Shen, I'm in awe of your acting skills!"
Xia Xi, who had been in a state of astonishment, gradually snapped back to reality upon hearing the director's voice. With a complex expression, she glanced at Lu Yisheng standing not far away, unsure how to describe his acting prowess, nothing short of perfection.
She had once heard from a senior that the best acting shouldn't be performed but should flow naturally. Merely resembling a character isn't true acting; becoming the character is. Sometimes, acting is quite simple, it's not about technique but authenticity. When you fully immerse yourself in the role, when you become the character in the story, there's no need to act.
And that's exactly what Lu Yisheng had just done.
Some actors rely on deliberate, exaggerated actions to convey their emotional depth; others use monotonous, dull behaviors to express their understanding of a role. Such performances only deceive the audience and themselves.
In Xia Xi's world, many actors often complained to her, finding the script dull, emotional scenes unmoving, and every line a struggle. They believed acting was incredibly difficult.
But is acting really that hard? Perhaps it is, if you haven't thoroughly understood the script, if you haven't fully immersed yourself in the character, if you haven't memorized your lines, if you aren't genuinely committed to becoming an actor.
Then, without a doubt, acting is difficult.